The Secret Room
by Ryoko
Summary: The country is at war and Jasmine is called to an undisclosed location. No one knows Aladdin is secretly hiding in the Palace...except one person. And she's not about to tell anyone...
1. Finding the room

            _The room was pitch black.  Nothing could be heard except the faint sound of a woman's voice…_

Title: The Secret Room

Author: Ryoko

Email: RyokoVenus@yahoo.com

Rating: R – **NOT** a part of the 'Alesfics' - modernized time of Disney characters - enjoy

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            She walked into the room; low v-cut blouse, midriff revealed, and an extra short skirt.  Her hips swayed as she head over to her usual seat.  His eyes roamed her body.  She came into the cafeteria every morning at the same time – 10 minutes later than she was supposed to be there.            

            "Esmeralda…" Jasmine's voice said, watching the scantily dressed girl sit down.  "How nice of you to join us," she remarked, being sarcastic as ever.  His eyes now stared at the commanding voice of Jasmine.  She wore a tube top, leaving her golden shoulders bare.  Her flat tummy always showed gracefully and her low-cut jeans sat comfortably on her hips.  Esmeralda faux smiled and then opened her notebook.  The other girls already had a few things written down.

            "With all of the men at the war and me in a high position, there is horrific danger; I'm afraid this is the last day," Jasmine began.  Several gasps noised from the mouths of the room.  Jasmine looked down to her shoes and sighed heavily.  "Which is why I'm glad I began to instruct all of you on Palace life a week ago," she said, attempting to smile.  Aladdin kept his eye focused on Jasmine.  His leg began to fall asleep but he tried to keep it still, knowing that if he made any kind of noise, the girls would hear him.  He had been in hiding ever since the call of war came about.  Being a royal figure, he saw no reason for him to have to actually be in the army.  Sure he wanted to command it, but from a far and safe distance.  Everyone thought he left.  He had been real good at being sneaky and he enjoyed spying on the girls everyday.  He was getting lonely, not being able to be around his Jasmine everyday.  Their outfits are what intrigued him the most.  "I didn't think this would come so early," Jasmine continued.  "The servant girls are packing my things as we speak, and it will be up to you girls to keep this Palace running," A hand went up in the crowd.

            "Jasmine, you can smile.  You need to have faith in us – we can do this!" the eager Belle stated.  Aladdin's eye darted to her cute little figure.  Sure, Belle was a quiet girl, and her fashion was outdated, but she was the only one who could pull off overalls and make it look sexy.  Jasmine smiled and waved a hand before leaving the cafeteria.

            "We drug our asses out here for that?!" Megara heaved.  The hidden eye roamed her twice over.  Megara was a tall gal with long legs that went on for days.  It also helped that she wore high heels and short cut-off jeans.  She didn't really have a chest, but her butt made up for it.  "This notebook from the past week is not going to help us run a Palace!" she retorted, standing up and throwing her notebook on the table.  From where he hid, Aladdin could clearly see her jeans were riding up her butt from sitting.  And what a tight butt it was too!

            "Megara calm down," another voice said.  Pocahontas stood up, her perky breasts bouncing.  Aladdin grinned.  Pocahontas could get away with wearing just about anything – and she did.  Her tops barely covered her large goods most times.  "This shouldn't be much different from our normal, everyday lives," she took the notebook in her arms and began to leave.  All the other girls followed her except Esmeralda, who fell back asleep, her head resting on the table.  Aladdin's eye was drawn to her cute figure since she was the only one left in the room.  Seeing that she was asleep, he slowly opened the pantry door and crept out.  Esmeralda blinked quickly.  She could have sworn she saw Aladdin!

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            The girls stood outside, shielding their faces from the flying sand particles.  Jasmine pulled her hood up over her head and kissed her hand before waving it in the air to say goodbye.  Everyone waved and watched her climb into the helicopter.  From Jasmine's room, Aladdin hid behind the sheer curtain that separated her living space from the balcony.  As he saw the helicopter door close, he slowly walked out to the edge of the balcony and leaned forward on the railing to watch her leave.  Jasmine waved politely from the window where she sat.  The girls all waved as the helicopter slowly lifted off the ground.  They saw her smile brightly and then they saw her eyes grow wide.  The girls were confused.  The helicopter rose and Jasmine's hands pressed tightly against the window.

            "Maybe she gets air sick," Pocahontas commented, after seeing Jasmine's frightened face pressed against the helicopter window.  Aladdin blew Jasmine a kiss as the helicopter flew past her balcony.  Jasmine was in complete shock as she saw Aladdin standing there so casually.  Was it all in her mind? Was it possible that in all this craziness she had hallucinated seeing him on her balcony?

            Aladdin quickly went back inside to Jasmine's room so that the other girls wouldn't catch him standing there.  Once inside, he plopped down on Jasmine's large bed.  He could easily hide out here until she came back.  The other girls head back inside the Palace.

            "Well…now what?" asked Belle as they stood inside.  Two servant girls closed the large doors behind them.

            "Now nothing.  Just relax," Megara's cool voice rang.  Pocahontas looked over to the entrance throne where the girl was casually lounging.

            "She's right," Pocahontas started.  "We just act as ourselves and if any major problems come up-" 

            "We refer to the notebook notes she gave us!" Belle answered, holding up her own blue notebook.  The other girls rolled their eyes.

            "Well I don't know about you, but I'm not hanging around this joint," Pocahontas said heading towards the treasury.  Megara seemed interested at where she was walking.

            "Where are you going, Poc?" she asked, clumsily climbing out of the chair to follow her.  Pocahontas grinned evilly and continued to walk until she got to the treasury doors.  A servant girl held her hand up at her.

            "I'm sorry – you cannot enter this, ma'am," the servant girl said.  Pocahontas arched her brow.

            "I have orders from Queen Jasmine," Pocahontas said, holding up her notebook with Jasmine's signature on the bottom.  The servant girl apologized and stepped aside, opening the door for the two girls to walk in.

            "How did you do that?!" Megara asked in awe.  Pocahontas headed over to the piles of gold.

            "Simple: I told Jasmine before she left that the servants would never allow us to command the orders without her authority," she said as she scooped piles of gold into her bag.  "So I have a whole notebook of her blank signatures ready to fill out," she laughed.  Megara began piling gold into her purse.  The two girls laughed wildly then burst out of the treasury room and headed out of the Palace.

            "Where are you going?" shouted Belle, walking after them.

            "We have to run some errands for the Queen; be right back!" Megara shouted.  Belle stood there silently and then turned around.

            "Esmeralda?" she asked.  Where had that girl gone so quickly?

            Esmeralda was upstairs silently walking around.  She heard the commotion downstairs.  Before she knew it, quiet Belle was right behind her.

            "Holy Allah!" Esmeralda shouted.  Belle lightly giggled.

            "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you," she started.  Esmeralda had her hand on her heaving chest.

            "Too late for that!" she said.  Belle felt awkward.

            "Um, Pocahontas and Megara left and I wasn't sure where you were and what we're supposed to do so I thought-"

            "I'm not doing anything," Esmeralda interrupted.  Belle looked stunned.  "Um, I mean, I didn't pay enough attention to her lessons so I don't feel skilled," she finished with a smile.  Belle smiled back.

            "Oh," she started.  "Well good, because I was going to ask if I could, kind of, you know…" she stuttered.  Esmeralda arched her brow.  "Take over, hm?" Belle finished.  Esmeralda nodded in agreement.

            "Please do!" she said patting Belle on the shoulder.  "The place…er, Palace, is all yours!" she remarked, and with that Belle turned around and skipped down the steps to the throne room.  Esmeralda sighed in delight.  She continued to tiptoe around the hallway and stopped when she got to Jasmine's bedroom.  After taking a huge breath, she slowly pushed the door open.

            The slight noise made Aladdin stir.  He quickly opened his eyes and saw the door gradually creeping open.  Making a weird face, he hopped off the bed and ran into the closet, shutting the doors behind him.  Esmeralda now had the door open enough to walk in.  Her jaw dropped when she saw how gorgeous Jasmine's bedroom was.  She shut the door behind her.  Aladdin was sure that she locked it when he heard a familiar clicking sound.  He closed his eyes tightly and began to think to himself that she apparently planned on being in here a while.  He opened them again and tried to peer through the small slits of the doors.  Esmeralda was gracefully walking around the room, running her hand smoothly across everything she passed.  She sat on the bed and bounced up and down a bit, then head over to the cabinets and began to open each drawer and leaf through the files with her fingers.  She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just browsing and being nosey.  She turned around and head over towards the bureau.  She opened each closet and searched through them as well.  She even held some of the things up to her body.  Aladdin swallowed hard.  He knew that she would go through the closet and then what was he supposed to do? There wasn't anywhere else he could hide!  As if she knew what he was thinking, she turned around quickly and her eyes widened as she saw the closet.  Aladdin backed away from the doors and hid behind the rows of clothing.  It grew bright as she flung the doors wide open and gasped loudly at the scene before her.  Never had she seen such exquisite gowns, tops, pants, dresses, skirts, etc.  Not to mention the shoes.

            "Well that's funny," she said as she looked at the shoes.  There seemed to be a path where they were all knocked over.  "It's almost as if someone walked through here," she said pushing the first row of clothes apart.  Aladdin tried to keep his breathing quiet but his heart was racing fast as he silently cursed himself for not thinking of that.  She stared down at the shoes in the second row.  They too were all crooked and moved around.  She pushed open yet another row of clothes, and another.  Aladdin slid over to the very corner, hoping she wouldn't see him hiding back there.  Then she gasped loudly once more.  He was sure she saw a part of his leg sticking out, or something.  "This is sooo beautiful!" she announced.  His eyes slowly opened.  He heard the clanking of the hanger coming off the rack and she walked out of the closet.  He let out a deep sigh and wiped the sweat off his forehead.  Slowly, he peered his head out from behind a long gown.  Esmeralda was facing the other direction, holding a gorgeous lavender gown up to herself in front of the long mirror.  She turned to face the bed and seemed to be thinking of something.  In a flash, she had thrown the dress, and herself, onto the bed and began to tear off her shoes.  Aladdin blinked hard and immediately came to the conclusion that Esmeralda was set on trying on this gown.  'Not bad,' he thought, 'I get a peep show!'  She began to undo the buttons on her blouse and slowly took the shirt off over her arms.  Aladdin's eyes widened as her large, beautiful breasts were more revealed – being sustained only by her lacy black bra.  She threw the blouse on the bed and began to slide down her short skirt.  Just then, Aladdin felt something tickle his nose.  He closed his eyes and put a tight grip on his nose.  'Allah, no!' he thought.  But his hands grip did nothing but worsen the situation; for not only did he sneeze, but it was a loud, strange sounding one at that.  Esmeralda's body stiffened and she quickly pulled her skirt back up and held her blouse up over her chest.

            "Who's there?" she asked.  Aladdin smacked his forehead and contemplated whether he should reveal himself or let her find him.  Esmeralda's eyes narrowed and she walked over to the closet.  Throwing her blouse down on the floor, she pushed the first row of clothes apart even farther and continued with the second and the third.  As she stared at the last row of clothes she took a deep breath, hoping that she wouldn't find anything dangerous hiding back there.  Aladdin breathed heavily and tried to think of something intelligent to say.  Suddenly, the clothes flew open and brightness engulfed Aladdin's crouched figure in the corner.  "Oh my God!" Esmeralda shouted, bending down to hold her blouse up over her chest again and backing away very quickly.  Aladdin stood up and began to shake his hands.

            "It's not what you think!" he said coming towards her.  She turned around and put her blouse back on, and reached for her shoes.  "Honestly," he said placing a hand on her knee.  She looked up to him with wide eyes.

            "What do you think I think?" she said and then narrowed her eyebrows from what she just said.  "I mean, you're supposed to be gone, Jasmine's gone, I'm sneaking through her room and of course the person to catch me in here is her fiancé who should be at WAR!" she said, shaking her hands around violently and grabbing the gown she was still dying to try on.

            "Listen, I know I'm supposed to be there but nobody knows the difference!  I've been hiding out at the Palace for weeks!" he said, following her over to the closet.  She hung the dress up and turned around quickly.

            "Well I think everybody's gonna know now!" she shouted in his face.  "You think I'm not going to go down there and jus-"

            "You're not going to say anything," he said, holding his hand tightly over her mouth.  She gave him a mean glare.  "Or I'll make sure everyone knows that you're sneaking through the Queen's room," he finished, hoping that sounded like enough of a threat.  He released his hand and sat on Jasmine's bed.  Esmeralda stared at the ground for a while before realizing she never buttoned her blouse.  As she slowly connected the bottom buttons, Aladdin continued to talk.

            "I was planning on hiding out here.  I knew no one would come in here…well, I _thought_ no one else would come in here," he said, slightly laughing.  Esmeralda finished the buttons and walked over to where he sat.

            "Well I've decided that I won't tell anyone," she started but then threw her hands in the air.  "But what am I supposed to do about this?" she asked.  "I mean, even if no one else knows you're here, I do!"

            "You could come visit me," Aladdin said with a  smile.  She smirked at him.  "I'm getting lonely with all this sneaking around! It would be nice to have someone to talk to," he started.  Esmeralda sat down on the edge of the bed next to him.

            "Okay," she replied, thinking up a plan in her head.  "But you have to promise me that I can use this space as my living quarters," she demanded looking him square in the eye.

            "Wait, what?" he asked, feeling skeptical.  "**I was going to use this as my living quarters!"  She placed her hand lightly on his arm.**

            "I need to get away from those girls and in here I can hide!" she said, her eyes widening in delight.  "It's got everything! A great view, a bed, clothes, a bath,"

            "Food… I know!" Aladdin finished.  "And that's why I need this space! I can't go anywhere else or I'll be caught!"

            "Well how did you do it when you were hiding about these past 3 weeks?!" she asked.  Aladdin opened his mouth and then quickly closed it again.  He looked to the floor as she proudly placed her hands on her hips. 

            "Touché," he stated.  She smiled in satisfaction.

            "So I get the room?" she asked in delight.  He turned to face her and stared directly into her eyes.  Never before had she noticed how beautiful his eyes were.  The dark brown orbs pierced her own.

            "On one condition:" he started.  She swallowed as his finger came between the small distance between their faces.  "You share it with me," Her face turned to disgust and she stood up.

            "Share it? With you?!" she shouted.  He lowered his hands to make her quiet down.  "I'm not doing that!" she yelled.

            "Fine. Then you don't get the room!" he replied back to her.  She put her hands angrily on her waist.  "I was here first Esmeralda.  The room is plenty big enough for two people," he explained, knowing first hand.  She crossed her hands over her chest and looked away.  He should know, he was engaged to the Queen after all and everyone knew there were days when the two of them would never even leave Jasmine's chambers.  Aladdin stood up and walked over to her, holding out his hand.  "Deal?"  She stared at his hand a bit before extending her own for them to shake.

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            _(end of chapter 1)_


	2. Crossing the line?

_Chapter 2 – Enjoy…   _

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Esmeralda wandered the cafeteria with a huge basket.  She was picking up goodies left and right from the serving area and head out once it was completely full.  Belle had called to her as she was just about to head up the stairs.  She closed her eyes and called back.

            "Yes Belle?" she yelled.  Just then the cute girl showed up.

            "Well I – what are you doing?" Belle asked, pointing to the large basket of food cradled between Esmeralda's arms.

            "Oh, I'm just taking a bunch of food up into my room.  I don't plan on coming out anytime soon," she smiled.  Belle eyed her funny.

            "And…why not?" she asked, cocking her hip to the side to stand more comfortably.  Esmeralda looked up to the ceiling as she formed an intelligent answer in her mind.

            "Well, you are the one ruling this Palace right now Belle. All you and nothing but you!" she began.  "And I never bother Jasmine, so I don't want to bother you," she smiled.  "I'm going to let you complete your duties and stay out of your way," Esmeralda finished, smiling proudly at her answer.  Belle smiled brightly as well.

            "Wow, I feel special," she said.  Esmeralda stared at her silently.

            "What was it you wanted to ask me?" she said, secretly hoping Belle had forgotten.  The blank stare on the brunette's face granted her wish.

            "I don't … remember…" she said, scratching her chin.  "Oh well!" she said, shrugging her shoulders.  Esmeralda turned and head up the steps.  

As she opened the door, she saw Aladdin lounging across the entire bed and watching the television.  Her mouth opened and she slammed the basket down on the nearby table.  The loud sound caught his attention.

"Oh hey!" he said, moving his hand slightly to wave.  She walked over to him and grabbed the remote to turn off the TV.  He looked at her annoyed.

"What is this?" she said, moving her hands to show frustration.  He propped his body up a bit.

"What is what?" he questioned.  She put her hand on her hip.

"You're taking up the entire bed!" she yelled.  He sat up and slid over to the side nearest the TV.

"How's that?" he asked, angry with her bossiness.

"What if I wanted that side?" she replied, testing his buttons.  His mouth opened wide as he narrowed his eyebrows.

"Geez, woman! You-"  

            But he stopped once he saw her begin to laugh hysterically.  She walked over to the basket and laid it on the bed.  She sat down on the other end and began to tell him all the treats she brought up.

            "We've got everything in here!" she responded.  As she took a few things out to name them he couldn't help but stare at her.  The casual way her bangs gently hung over her forehead made him want to reach out and touch them and brush them aside off her beautiful face.  She looked up at him and her smile disappeared.  "You're not really angry are you?" He shook his head quickly and looked at her seriously.

            "No I'm fine, I just thought you-"

            "That was my intent," she answered.  "I'm going to be honest with you," Esmeralda began.  "I don't think I'm an easy person to live with," His eyebrows raised slightly as he leaned back against the pillow to listen.  She leaned back too, placing her back against the backboard of the bed.  "I don't think you're going to like having to share things with me," she laughed.  Aladdin pushed the hair off his forehead.  As she watched him do this, it seemed to move in slow motion.  He had a nice face; chiseled features and a strong chin.  She wondered if his skin felt as smooth as it looked.

            "Look, I've been thinking about this too," he started, his attention drawn to his fiddling hands.  "I've decided that you can have the room if you want.  There is a small one that is connected to this one – you can only get to it from entering this door," he replied, pointing to the door she had entered previously.  As she looked over at it, she realized it was still open and ran over to shut it.  She turned around and giggled as she looked at him.  He chuckled lightly and she ran back over to the bed and jumped on it before sitting where she was before.  "I have a whole other room over there that I'll be just fine in.  I'll only have to stop in here every now and then for a few things here and there,"           She smiled and slid her body down so she was parallel to him.

            "Sounds good to me," she said.  He laughed and sat up.  Aladdin stretched his arms and then walked over to the next room.  As she laid on the bed she felt emotions in her that made her feel a little guilty.  She sat up and hugged her knees while staring at the door he exited through.  "Aladdin?" she called.  His head popped through the door slightly.

            "Yea?" he asked with a smile.  She smiled back.

            "Nothing," she said.  "Just wanted to…well," she said, twisting a piece of hair in her fingers.  "You can stay in here if you want.  We can be like roommates.  And then at night you go there, I stay here," He smiled at her idea.  "Does that work?" she questioned, hoping he would agree.  He smiled and rushed over to the bed, jumping on it when he got there.  She laughed as he sat down and turned on the TV.

            The first few days were a little awkward.  The two were slowly getting to know each other better and enjoy the others company.  Whenever they needed something, Esmeralda would use the servant calling system to order it up.  No one had noticed he was there and for all she knew, they probably thought she was gone too.  The only time she left the room was to take a shower.  One day, as the two lounged while watching the TV, she decided to ask him something.

            "Um, Aladdin?" she started.  He noised, letting her know that he heard her, even though he still looked intently at the television.  "Would it be alright if I used the shower here?" she asked.  This got his attention and he turned his head to her quickly.

            "Well, yea, I don't see why," he answered, a slight smile trying to creep onto his lips.  She stood up and walked over to the bureau.

            "Well I was just wondering because it's her shower and I thought I might feel weird," The best part of 'living' in Jasmine's room, was definitely the wardrobe.  Even though everything fit her snugly, she still felt comfortable and there was a huge variety to wear.  "You know what I mean?" she asked.  Aladdin was still staring at her as she went through Jasmine's drawers.  He nodded his head slightly and wondered just what she'd pick out to wear today.  Esmeralda had amazing fashion (even though it was Jasmine's clothing) and to him, the best part of 'living' here was seeing her every muscle through the small clothing she was wearing.  She pulled her hair up over her head and walked over to the shower area; He was still watching her.  She then cleared her throat loudly and he sat up.

            "What?" he asked.  Her eyes widened as she looked at him with an obvious face.  The shower was nothing more than a large bathtub with a royal purple curtain around it.  There was a small changing stand to stand behind but she still felt a little uncomfortable with him looking directly at her.  His cheeks flushed slightly and he turned his head the other way.  When he heard the shower water running, he slowly twisted his head back to where she was.  Though the curtain was dark, it still showed shadows, given the right sunlight.  And the sunlight today must have been bright because he saw a gorgeous silhouette of her body from where he sat.  He breathed heavily as he watched and was thoroughly pleased that she began to shower here.

            The next day she was napping on the bed.  He walked through the room and turned on the TV, making sure it was quiet enough not to wake her.  Because it was so quiet, he decided to sit on the floor.  He leaned his back against the side of the bed.  Just then, two tan arms draped around his neck.  He swallowed hard.

            "Hey you," she groggily said.  He turned his head slightly to see her head hanging over the end of the bed.

            "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he responded as he rubbed her arm.  She yawned and shook her head.

            "Nah," she replied.  "I was lightly napping," He then yawned himself.

            "Sorry this life is so boring," he apologized.  She looked to him strangely.

            "What do you mean?"

            "Well, we can't go out and do anything.  We're always up here trying to be quiet and just bored to death," She frowned.

            "I'm not bored!" she stated.

            "You're not?"

            "No! I'm having fun!" She rolled over on her back.  "Uh oh…" she then realized.

            "What?" he said turning around to face her.  She rolled over once more so she was lying on her stomach.

            "You're bored," she recognized.  He shook his head.

            "Well…a little, yea," he said.  "But I've been living this life for a month now," She sat up and tapped her chin.

            "Why don't I order us a nice dinner and… we can eat it on the balcony and pretend we're out at some fancy restaurant!" This brought a smile to his face.  She stood up and went to the servant call to order a huge meal.  He stood up and walked over behind her.  When she turned around they were mere inches apart.

            "Thanks," he said, his hands longing to wrap around her and give her a hug.  She smiled politely and raised her arms over his neck, enveloping them in a hug.  He smiled as he felt her press against him.  Her firm breasts were on his chest.  As she stood there she thought of how strong he felt.  When they pulled apart she gave him the once over quickly and then walked over to the closet.

            "We're going to have to dress nice!" she began.  He watched her butt as she faced the wall of wardrobes.  As she moved the clothes from one side to the other, he began to picture Jasmine in each of the outfits.  They weren't necessarily 'special', but they all had their memories.  He felt a twinge of guilt as he realized just what was going on.  Here he was, supposedly happily engaged, lying to everyone that he was bravely commanding a war, and living with one of the hot girls in his fiancé's bedroom.  There was certainly something wrong with this picture.  Esmeralda turned around holding the gown she wanted to try on a week before up to her body.  "What about this one?" she asked.  He once again focused on her and a smile crept on his face.

            "You're going to look beautiful!" he said.  What was the harm?  They were just two friends, mere roommates, hanging out and having a good time.  Sure, the way he looked at her was lustful but he hadn't touched in any way that could be considered cheating.

            The food arrived and Esmeralda answered the door in a lavish gown.  The servant girls stared at her strangely, wondering just why she had been living Jasmine's life – except for the ruling part – but delivered the food and placed it on the table she had set up on the balcony.  They all exited but not without whispering to one another how strange she was for having such a fancy, large dinner on her own.  When everything was complete she called Aladdin.  As he exited his room she was taken aback by how sharp he looked.  He had on a nice suit and bow tie and his cool walk as he came towards her made her hormones rage.  As he head for her he tried to stay calm and collected, even though she looked so hot in that dress.  Since it was snug, it pushed her breasts up and made her waist look smaller than ever, not to mention her dangerous curves.  A stray hair hung over her ear and as he stood next to her, he gently pushed it behind.  She tried not to look at him while he did this, fighting the urge she strongly felt right now to kiss him.  She smiled and thanked him and then the two went out onto the balcony to enjoy dinner.

            The stars were just appearing and the light breeze made the evening magical.  They ate and ate and talked about anything and everything.  When she felt full, Esmeralda walked to the end of the balcony and stood there staring at the city.  Aladdin watched her for a moment but soon joined her side.  The moon played gently on her features.  She felt his presence closely behind her.

            "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked.  He rubbed his hand up and down her slender arm before turning her to face him.

            "You're very beautiful," he whispered pushing that same stray hair behind her ear once more.  She swallowed and looked deep into his eyes.  He leaned his head forward so that their noses touched.  She closed her eyes slightly and reached her hand back to grasp the balcony railing.  "Before we end the night…" he started.  She could feel his lips brush her own.  Her heart began to beat wildly as did his own.  He wanted to feel her soft lips right now, forgetting all his past emotions.  "One kiss?" he asked gently, his one hand cupping the back of her neck.  Esmeralda breathed heavily.  Her mind told her to turn her head away and push him back.  But his hand was still on her neck, negating that option.  She knew that this would make things awkward for their living.  But his lips were still near upon hers and she was longing for a kiss as well.  Pushing the thought of Jasmine entirely out of her mind she closed her eyes and moved her head forward, locking their lips together.  While his one hand remained on her neck to keep them connected, his other reached across her back.  She grasped the balcony railing tightly, knowing that she needed to push him away.  But as she tried to bring her head back he pushed forward more, causing her mouth to open slightly.  Feeling this, he darted his tongue inside her mouth and held her tightly against him.  She felt her body tense up and wedged her arm in between their bodies to push him away.  She then turned around quickly and wiped her mouth off.  Aladdin was still standing right behind her so he moved along the railing and leaned on it.  She looked frightened as she stared out into the sky.  "What's wrong?" he asked.  She dare not look at him for those brown eyes would take her right back to where she was.

            "Nothing; you should leave that's all," she quietly said.  He stood up and gave her a confused look.

            "Esmeralda, why won't you look at me?" he asked.  She briefly faced him and then walked inside.  He sighed and turned around to see her facing herself in the mirror.  

            "You see that person there?" she said as he stood behind her, their reflections in the full-length mirror.  "She's horrible…" she cried feeling the tears well up in her eyes.  Aladdin moved her slightly so that he was fully visible in the mirror as well.

            "All I see is a wonderful, beautiful, fun-loving girl who I really like to be around," he soothed.  She looked at his reflection.  "And a horrible man standing next to her," he ended before turning to walk away.  She watched him head over to his door and slam it shut.  She closed her eyes at the loud sound and then sagged to the floor.  She sobbed quietly and then turned to the bureau.  She opened the bottom drawer, looking for something to wear to bed.  She then pulled out a large, ragged t-shirt and eyed it strangely.  Realizing that it must have been Aladdin's, she put it on.  It was incredibly comfortable so she lie down in bed and fell asleep.

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            Esmeralda was lying comfortably on the bed watching the television.  She hadn't left since she woke up.  She hadn't changed, showered, or even eaten for that matter.  All she could think about was last night and the kiss they shared.  Every now and then she would turn her attention to the door leading to his part of the room.  She was dying to see him walk through it.  She sighed heavily and looked back to the television.  Just then, the door cracked slightly.  Her eyes darted to the spot where he would enter and then she quickly looked back to the television – acting as if she didn't care.  For a while he just leaned against the door, staring at his feet.

            "Hey Esmeralda?" he started.  She unhurriedly moved her eyes to his own.  "I'm sorry," She blinked slowly.  "I just-" As he looked at her, he realized that she was lying on the bed in his shirt.  It was smaller fitting on her than Jasmine – coming up farther on her legs.  His mouth must have been hanging open wide because she propped herself up.

            "What is it?" she asked.  He swallowed hard at the gorgeous sight before him.  His jaw was on the floor and his eyes continuously ran from her legs up to her face.  She then stood up.  "What is it Aladdin?" she repeated.  He hoped that she didn't notice the effect she was having on him.  He tried to speak but his mouth was dry as he looked at how sexy she was in his old shirt.

            "I just wanted to apologize for…for last night," he finally spit out.  She looked down to the ground and scratched her arm.  Esmeralda then turned around and walked over to the bureau.  As she bent over to look in the drawer, the shirt raised higher on her.  It hung right below the end of her round buttocks.  Aladdin's mouth dropped again.  But he was upset that she didn't say anything back to him.  "You look…" She turned her head to face him, and her hair all loose and rustled, hung in her face.  "You look great in my shirt," he finished.  She smiled slightly.

            "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't be wearing this," she apologized, standing up tall and brushing her hands down the sides of it.  He swallowed hard as he continued to look at her with glazed eyes.  "I knew it wasn't Jasmine's when I pulled it out – doesn't quite reach her standards of clothing," she laughed.  He laughed as well.  She took a good long look at him.  He only had on an old pair of ragged pants and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his smooth, muscular chest.

            "It's okay," he said, stepping closer to her.  "Except, I don't remember this hole," He pointed to a rip in the shirt, on her side.  He poked it gently, making her bend over slightly and laugh.

            "Hey!" she said, giggling.  "It was there when I put it on!" she said, lightly poking him back in the stomach.  He laughed too.  After making a face he poked her again – this time on both her sides.  She poked him back and the two continued the poking game, smiling and laughing and soon landing on the bed in the frenzy of tickling each other.  She was laughing so hard and telling him to stop.  When he did, she was lying flat on the bed and he was hovering over her.  They were breathing heavy and still lightly laughing at each other.  He flopped down next to her and they both calmed down.  Esmeralda turned her head slightly to look over at him and he arched his head to see her face.  He reached out as if he was going to poke her again, but instead he stroked her arm gently.  Her face grew serious as she stared at him.  The playful poking now changed into light touches here and there.  Little by little their faces grew closer and now they were only inches apart.  They could each feel the others hot breath on their faces and as they stared in to each others eyes, it was clear what they both wanted.  In one swift move, Esmeralda latched her lips onto his.  He closed his eyes and let her mouth move around his own, venturing her tongue in every now and then.  His hands just rested on her shoulders as he let her explore.  She reached her hands up to his hair and began to gently sway it around, her fingers tickling his scalp and sending shivers down his spine.  It took all his power to pull away from her sweet kisses but Aladdin had to.  When they were separated, he stared into her beautiful green eyes.

            "Esmeralda we shouldn't be doing this," She just laid there as he rolled over and sat up.  She swallowed and hoped her beating heart would calm down.  He turned around to face her. "I mean, I want you," he started, standing up and waving his hands as he began to pace.  "Allah knows I want you, but we can't," he stated.  She slowly propped herself up and gave him a worried pout.  "I'm not free," he sadly remarked while seating himself on the end of the bed.  Esmeralda sat up and pushed her hair back over her shoulder.  She looked down at the comforter for a bit and then got the courage to slide close to him.  When she was behind him, she let her one arm seductively trace across his back to his other side.  He swiveled his head to face her and she let her other arm cross his chest so that her two hands connected.  As he looked intently at her, she brought her head near his neck and began to place gentle kisses along his body.  She trailed from his neck down to his upper chest but his hand stopped her before she could go any further.  He brought her chin up to face him. "Please don't," he began.  But her eyelids lowered and she moved her face towards his, making their lips only millimeters apart.  As he stared at her, determined not to let this happen, he tried to fight the urge he had inside to pull her on top of him and down on the bed.  As she looked into his eyes, she couldn't understand what they were trying to tell him.  She blinked quickly and then pulled away, unlatching her hands and heading back over to the bureau.  He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh before checking that everything was calm in his pants.  He looked back over where she was standing and her head was resting in her hand while the other was leaning on top of the bureau.  Her shoulders shook lightly as she sobbed.  Unsure of what to do, Aladdin eventually stood up and walked over to her, rubbing his hands on her trembling arms. "What's wrong?" he asked.  She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned around to face him.

            "I messed everything up," she cried, burying her face into his strong chest.  He hugged her tightly and tried to tell her that everything would be okay and nothing was messed up.  "I don't understand Aladdin," she said with concern in her voice.  "You're sending me mixed signals!" she complained.  He continued to rub her back as he let her cry in his chest.

            "What do you mean 'sending you signals'?" he asked.  She pulled her head out of the crook of his neck to face him.  Giving him an angry glare she continued.

            "Last night you were begging for a kiss but I made you stop.  And now today I tried to return the favor and you wouldn't let me!" she yelled, breaking from his embrace to walk out to the balcony.  "I don't know what to think!" she shouted from outside.  Aladdin rubbed his forehead, feeling as confused as she was, but eventually followed her outside.

            "Hey, I don't know what to think either!" he said, causing her to turn around and look at him through teary eyes.  "I mean, here I am hiding out from everyone to escape the dangers of this stupid, pointless war; my fiancé gets shipped off to an undisclosed location and the only person who knows I'm here is you!" he began, throwing his hands about in frustration.  "Now I'm living in this room with you and enjoying every minute of it. My head is telling me to stay away but my-" He stopped and looked into her eyes, her brow arching at anticipation of what he'd say next.  "My whole body wants you, needs you right now," Her expression changed to a surprised look at this statement.

            "Then why don't you let me-"

            "I can't!" he shouted, not letting her finish.  "My heart still belongs to her," Aladdin placed a fist on his heart.  He sat down at the table that was there from the night before.  "I'm stuck between a rock and a-" he paused at the irony of the statement and raised his eyebrow.  "Well, you know," he finished.  She smirked and walked slowly over to his side.  He stared at her feet and then let his eyes roam up her legs to her beautiful face.  She gently cupped his face and kissed him lightly on the forehead before heading back inside.  As he watched her leave, he wondered why he never got to know her earlier.  Maybe it was better this way – he got his feelings out in the open and it should keep things friendly between them and nothing more.

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_(end of chapter 2)_


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